S.Korea Welcomes DPRK's Softening Stance on Nuclear Issue

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, April 15, 2003

S.Korea Welcomes DPRK's Softening Stance on Nuclear Issue

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Seoul has welcomed a change in the stance of Pyongyang on the nuclear issue which may mean that Pyongyang will accept US demands for multilateral talks on the issue, and not insist on one-on-one talks with Washington.

South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun's newly formed administration viewed the change, revealed by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) last weekend, as a turning pointin the process of pulling the parties concerned back to the negotiating table.

The South Korean presidential office on Monday referred to the remarks by a spokesman for the DPRK Foreign Ministry on the changeas "an active response to the efforts made by South Korea and other relative counties in order to address the nuclear issue peacefully."

South Korean Foreign and Trade Minister Yoon Young-kwan, who had concluded visits to the US, Japan and China, praised the DPRK's change as "a forward step and active progress."

Yoon, who revealed a "road map" plan on the DPRK nuclear issue during his visits, said his government would continue its diplomatic efforts in solving the issue, and seek close cooperation with the US, Japan, China and other involving countries.

The concrete content of the plan has not been revealed.

The Korean Central News Agency, the DPRK's national news agency, quoted the DPRK spokesman as saying on April 12 that the DPRK would not insist on any particular dialogue format if the US dropsits anti-DPRK policy.

The DPRK nuclear dispute flared in October when US officials said the DPRK admitted it had a clandestine nuclear program in violation of a 1994 agreement with the United States.

In November, Washington and its allies suspended oil shipments to the DPRK promised under the agreement, and the DPRK responded by moving to reactivate its frozen nuclear facilities.

The DPRK expelled inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and announced its withdrawal from the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in January.

The IAEA Board of Governors in February referred the DPRK nuclear issue to the United Nations Security Council and declared the DPRK in violation of UN nuclear safeguard provisions.

Negotiations on the 1994 agreement were just between Pyongyang and Washington. This time, Washington has insisted that Russia, China, Japan and South Korea be also involved.

The recent change in the DPRK's stance may contribute to breaking the stand-off in the negotiations on the issue, accordingto analysts.

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